Two decades after the publication of Azar Nafisi’s memoir "Reading Lolita in Tehran," the book has been adapted into a feature film, offering a cinematic portrayal of her experiences teaching Western literature in post-revolution Iran. Directed by Eran Riklis, the movie explores the challenges Nafisi faced as an educator in a climate where English-language classics were increasingly viewed with suspicion by Iranian authorities.

The narrative moves between the late 1970s and the mid-1990s, focusing on Nafisi’s time teaching at a university and her later establishment of a private book club for a select group of female students. Scenes from the film depict her efforts to engage students with works such as F. Scott Fitzgerald’s "The Great Gatsby," which she provocatively puts “on trial” in the classroom. The film also brings to the screen discussions about the societal status of women in Iran, drawing parallels to the character of Lolita, whose life was dominated and controlled by older men. While these reflections are central to Nafisi’s original memoir, the screenplay by Marjorie David is noted for simplifying the intricate links between literary analysis and personal experience.

The film also portrays significant shifts in Iran’s social and political landscape during the period. One sequence shows Nafisi attending a censored screening of Andrei Tarkovsky’s film "The Sacrifice." Another portrays a harrowing moment in which one of Nafisi’s students, played by Cannes-winning actress Zar Amir Ebrahimi, is subjected to corporal punishment and coerced into signing a false confession, underscoring the oppressive environment in which these women lived.

Noteworthy is the film’s production background: it is an Israeli-Italian co-production, shot in Italy, that recreates the atmosphere of Tehran. This collaboration is unique, given the political tensions between Israel and Iran. Riklis, known for his previous work that has addressed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with nuanced optimism, brings a distinct perspective to Nafisi’s story, marking the adaptation as a significant cross-cultural project.

Running at just under two hours and presented in Persian and English with subtitles, the film offers a visually embodied account of Nafisi’s memoir, albeit with an approach that may feel somewhat straightforward in its translation from page to screen. It serves as a reminder of the enduring power of literature amid repression and the complex realities faced by women navigating life in post-revolutionary Iran.